Book bans are rising at an alarming rate—but librarians, authors, and publishers are fighting back. In this powerful episode of Book Lounge by Libby, Joe is joined by librarian and intellectual freedom advocate Amanda Jones, bestselling author Kalynn Bayron (This Poison Heart), veteran librarian and censorship expert Pat R. Scales, and Skip Dye, SVP at Penguin Random House. Together, they dive into the impact of censorship on libraries, communities, and the future of publishing.
Plus, stick around for a banned books spotlight featuring Joe, Bre, and Meara, where they share a few of their must-read titles that have faced bans or challenges.
📚 Let’s talk about what it means to protect the freedom to read.
Want the video version of the show? Visit the Libby App YouTube channel!
Articles Mentioned in the Intro & Episode:
What's a book ban anyway? Depends on who you ask
Manuscripts Don’t Burn: a Timeline of Literary Censorship, Destruction, and Liberation
American Library Association Names Skip Dye Honorary Member
The Persistent Problem of Colorism: Skin Tone, Status, and Inequality
Under fire from state, Hillsborough’s Ayres pledges to pull more books
Guest Host Recommendations:
Bre
The Bluest Eye - Toni Morrison
Invisible Man - Ralph Ellison
Their Eyes Were Watching God – Zora Neale Hurston
Meara
Pet - Akwaeke Emezi
The Midnight Lie - Marie Rutkoski
Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury
Joe
Flamer – Mike Curato
The Magic Fish – Trung Le Nguyen
All Boys Aren’t Blue - George M. Johnson
Follow the Guests & Guest Hosts:
Segment 1:
Amanda Jones - Links
Kalynn Bayron - Website
Pat R. Scales - LinkedIn
Skip Dye – Penguin Random House
Segment 2:
Bre - Links
Meara - Links
Time Stamps:
00:00:00 Title
00:00:16 Intro
00:05:54 Segment 1, Part 1: Amanda Jones, Kalynn Bayron, Pat R. Scales
00:50:33 Segment 1, Part 2: Skip Dye
01:17:54 BREAK
01:19:01 Segment 2: Book Recommendations with Bre, Meara & Joe
02:11:38 Outro
Readers can sample and borrow the titles mentioned in today’s episode in Libby. Library friends can add these titles to their digital collections for free in OverDrive Marketplace and Kanopy. Check out our Cumulative List for the whole season, or this list for today’s episode!
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